Today's
temple issue has roots that extend much further back than the founding
of the Soka Gakkai in 1930. In fact, problems arose as soon as Nichiren
Daishonin died, in 1282. Here's a timeline of Nichiren Shoshu's history:

___________________________

1282
— Before he dies in October of this year, the Daishonin writes his "Document
for Entrusting the Law That Nichiren Propagated Throughout His Life," which
names his disciple Nikko Shonin as his legitimate successor.

___________________________

1285
— When a statue of Shakyamuni is erected at Mount Minobu and one of the
six senior priests, Niko (not Nikko Shonin) calls this an appropriate object
of devotion -- going completely against the instructions of Nichiren Daishonin
-- Nikko Shonin leaves Mount Minobu in order to protect the purity of his
mentor's teachings.

___________________________

1289
— Nikko Shonin establishes Taiseki-ji as the head temple of the Daishonin's
school, at the foot of Mount Fuji. It becomes the center of what comes
to be known as the Fuji School, in modern times referred to as Nichiren
Shoshu.

___________________________

1333
— After the third high priest, Nichimoku Shonin, dies, two priests fight
over succession rights, setting in motion a land dispute that lasts for
70 years and splits the head temple into two factions. Also, by this time,
four errant schools have branched off from the legitimate Fuji School founded
by Nikko Shonin.

___________________________

The
1400s — The 9th high priest, Nichiu, unifies the
three factions at the head temple, which has fallen into decline as a result
of the long dispute.

___________________________

1482
— When a 13-year-old is appointed high priest, in order to counter challenges
regarding his qualification, the priesthood begins for the first time to
propound doctrines asserting that the high priest is absolute and infallible.
(This idea is revived by Nikken Abe to strengthen his own position and
power in the 1990s.)

___________________________

The
1500s — The head temple falls into its most serious
decline, one reason being that it is located far from the political and
cultural center of the day, Kyoto. The priesthood, in desperation, starts
making overtures to priests from a prestigious but heretical Minobu Nichiren-school
temple in Kyoto, Yobo-ji. The aim is to elevate the status of Taiseki-ji
by inviting priests from Yobo-ji, who are respected in elite circles, to
become its high priests. These priests, like Niko during the time of the
second high priest, worship statues of Shakyamuni. This heresy continues
into the next century.

___________________________

1718
— Nichikan becomes the 26th high priest. He works tirelessly to clarify
the Daishonin's teachings and the correct practice of them, reestablishing
the importance of the Gohonzon and bringing the head temple back on track.
(Today, the Gohonzon that SGI members receive is a copy of one transcribed
by Nichikan.)

___________________________

1872
— The government issues a notice to loosen the restrictions that were enforced
upon all Buddhist priests by the Tokugawa Government during Japan's Edo
period (1600-1865) and allow priests to marry, eat meat, grow out their
hair and wear secular clothing. The 56th high priest, Nichio, becomes the
first married high priest.

___________________________

1930—
Despite Nichikan's efforts, Nichiren Shoshu has again experienced a prolonged
period of decline until the Soka Gakkai is founded in 1930. Under the leadership
of presidents Makiguchi and Toda,
Nichiren Shoshu's number of believers
begins a gradual increase.

___________________________

1943
— During World War II, the Japanese military government requires all sects
to accept a Shinto talisman and thereby pay homage to the deity of the
militarist government. Nichiren Shoshu agrees to compromise with the government
order in this matter, while Makiguchi refuses. Imprisoned as a result of
his stance to protect the Daishonin's teachings, Makiguchi dies in prison.

___________________________

1950s-1980s
— Toda, who was also imprisoned, rebuilds the Soka Gakkai after the war
with his disciple, Daisaku Ikeda. The temple, as a result of the Soka Gakkai's
explosive growth, experiences a golden age never realized in its seven-century
history. Soka Gakkai members donate billions of dollars and hundreds of
facilities to Nichiren Shoshu.

___________________________

1990
— Nikken, high priest since 1979, starts enacting measures to exert control
over the SGI and devises Operation C (C for Cut), a plan to take control
of the now 12 million practitioners who belong to the organization worldwide
by "cutting" President Ikeda from his position of leadership. The current
temple issue begins as the plan is set in motion.

___________________________

1991
— The head temple excommunicates 12 million people, and the SGI and the
temple become two separate entities. Nikken reintroduces the doctrine of
the infallibility of the high priest, leading Nichiren Shoshu once again
far astray from the intent of the Daishonin's teachings.

___________________________

1992
— A number of temples begin to secede from Nichiren Shoshu in protest of
Nikken's distortion of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

___________________________

1997-98
— Nikken surreptitiously removes the Dai-Gohonzon from the Sho-Hondo, the
Grand Main Temple, without informing the general priesthood, and begins
demolition of the structure. He states his reason as being that the building
was donated by slanderers — meaning the Soka Gakkai members. Nevertheless,
he makes no move to return or demolish the hundreds of temples the organization
had built and donated over the years.

___________________________

1999
— Notes are released recording Nikken as declaring the Dai-Gohonzon a forgery
at a meeting with Jitoku Kawabe at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo in February
1979. In response to this and the temple administration's deficient explanations,
temples and priests begin anew to secede from their affiliation with the
Nichiren
Shoshu head temple.

___________________________

From
this history, it is easy to see that the Daishonin's teachings have been
distorted and denigrated by Nichiren Shoshu repeatedly over the centuries.In
reviewing the above facts, we can be absolutely certain that the SGI is
the only organization currently upholding correct faith in the Daishonin's
Buddhism. Nichiren Shoshu has become a religion entirely estranged from
his teachings. Free of the priesthood's formalistic restrictions and dogma,
the SGI has thrived in recent years. Since 1991, SGI members have tried
to help as many people as possible understand what is at the core of the
temple issue and the true history of Nichiren Shoshu.______________________________________________